Sterling Bank has come under heavy criticism and sanctions over the ‘distasteful’ Agege Bread Easter Ad.
Sterling Bank Plc is under fire for putting up a post that compared the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the rise of Agege bread on its social media page and subscribers’ mail.
In its Easter celebration messages, the bank shared a post with the quote, “Like Agege Bread, He Rose” across its social media handles, but the message has drawn widespread criticism from many Christians.
On Sunday, social media users lampooned the bank and described the message as insensitive and insulting to Christians. Many users demanded that the post be brought down immediately and an apology be tendered by the bank.
“Unless they are equally complicit, the Management of Sterling Bank should clear its Corporate Comms team on Tuesday,” a respected public relations and communication expert, Chido Nwakamma, wrote on Facebook
In its reaction to the criticisms, the bank pulled down the post on its social media page and replaced it with an apology.
In its reaction on Monday, the Advertising Practitioner Council of Nigeria (APCON) threatened to take necessary action to ensure that the bank is sanctioned for “the exposure of such offensive advertisement according to law.’”
The council also described the advertisement as “distasteful”, adding that it was neither submitted nor approved for exposure by the Advertising Standards Panel, the statutory body charged with the responsibility of ensuring that advertisements conform with prevailing laws.
The council added that it will ensure that no “religious belief or faith is ridiculed or any blasphemous advertisement (is) exposed in any guise.”
The statement read, “The Advertising Practitioner Council of Nigeria (APCON) has observed with displeasure the insensitive and provocative Easter celebration advertisement by Sterling Bank Plc which compared to the resurrection of Christ with Agege Bread.
“The distasteful advertisement was neither submitted nor approved for exposure by the advertising standard panel (ASP), the statutory Panel charge with the responsibility of ensuring that advertisement conforms with the prevailing laws of the federation as well as the code of ethics of advertising in Nigeria.
“APCON will take necessary actions to ensure that sterling bank is sanctioned for the exposure of such offensive advertisement according to law and that no religious belief or faith is ridiculed or any blasphemous advertisement exposed in any guise.”